Dances, music and instruments, together with antique clothes, are part of the customs and traditions that folk group of the island still maintain alive. Musical activities represented the most important leisure and festive section of the society of Formentera. These festive expressions (except those that were celebrated in special days) used to take place in a fairly familiar and private atmosphere. "Xacotes" used to come up in a very spontaneous way and at home, usually before going to bed. While some stories were told, the family danced by the fire.
Baile folklórico, siempre presente en todas las festividades.
Dances: The most characteristic feature of dances in Formentera is that the man plays a very different role than the woman. She adopts a submissive and impassive character, tracing a circular trajectory with very short steps around him, who plays a much more domineering role: he jumps in a very intense and energetic way, following the rhythm established by the music, showing his masculinity.
Among all the dances, the oldest ones must be highlighted: "la curta", that used to open the dancing and, in some cases, to bring it to an end; "la llarga", the most danced, characterized by its quick rhythm; "sa filera", which is a "llarga" danced by a man with two or even three women, laid out in a line and, finally, "ses nou rodades", which is the most singular dance, since the man does not jump, but move with short steps. The pair trace a concentric trajectory previous to find each other in the centre and turn together once, twice, even nine times before bringing the dance to an end.
Instruments and songs: As far as musical instruments are concerned, we must highlight the fact that all the traditional instruments are percussion and wind ones. No strings were produced. Among percussion instruments we find: the drum, produced with a piece of emptied pine trunk and animal leather for the edges, that was usually decorated with drawings made directly over the wood ("riscla"). Another instrument: the "castanyoles" (castanets), produced with juniper wood and decorated with incision at both external faces. Castanyoles measurements vary, and so does the sound thereof, deeper or more high-pitched, depending on the internal cavity shape.
The same person that is in charge of playing the drum also plays the flute ("flaüta"), an instrument elaborated with oleander wood ("baladre"). It only has three holes -two at the top and one at the lower part- which are covered and uncovered by left hand fingers. From this same hand (exactly from the wrist thereof) hangs the drum, which sounds with the taps of a wooden stick hold by the right hand. This group of instruments -drum, flute and "castanyoles"- was the one that used to liven up dances or "ballades", while "l'espasí", something similar to a sword blade that was played together with a shorter iron bar -which takes the sound out of the blade-, was only used in very special cases, during the "caremelles", canticles written in old Catalan, probably from the Middle Age, that used to be performed at churches during the "Nit de matines" (Christmas Eve).
We also have to mention, as wind instrument, the "xeremia". It works with a reed mechanism, it is made of cane and is always shorter than twenty centimetres. Every "xeremia" has a different number of holes between three and five at each cane. This instrument was produced by shepherds while they took care of their flocks. The "xeremia" used to be played always as a single instrument, never accompanied by any other.
Las Castanyoles, indispensables en la música folklórica de la isla.
As far as songs are concerned, we must remember that they are composed by seven or eight syllable verses, with a consonant rhyme at the even verses, at the end of which a very characteristic guttural vibration is produced. Lyrics subjects are usually love themes with double meanings. Both men and women sing these songs. They use a very melodic tone and, therefore, the spectacle seems to be a recital, rather than a song. Many people have pointed out that there is a clear Arab origin from where these songs derive.Clothes: The oldest clothes were manufactured at the island with the wool that was produced and woven at the in every house existing loom. Men used to wear very wide trousers folded at the waist, which used to get narrower at the low part. They used to wear linen shirts and, for the head, a big woollen cap that used to be red or black. As footwear they wore esparto or pita espadrilles.
By the end of the 19th century, these customs had developed. Men already wore more classical corduroy trousers and a kind of dark jacket called "samarreta". They wore a "feltre" (felt) hat and pita footwear was replaced by leather footwear.
Women clothes also went through many changes: old black and narrow "gonelles" became bigger and produced with some finer cloths like silk or fine wool. Their colour remained dark. Women used to wear a very narrow jacket called "jac" and, for the head, a woollen or silken headscarf. When attending the church on Sundays or special days, instead of wearing the "jac" they took a small cloak and over all these clothes, always gold chains consisting of one cross and various necklaces hold by the ends at the back with needles. They sometimes also wore some other decorative gold objects like bellboys, rings or earrings.
Ballades i cantades pageses calendar in Formentera:
- May 30 (Sant Ferran): Dance in the Church of Sant Ferran square.
- June 24 (Sant Joan): Dance in the Church of Sant Ferran square.
- July 16 (Mare de Déu del Carmen): Dance in the Savina harbour. In the evening, cantada payesa in Casa de la Tercera Edad (Retired House) of Sant Francesc.
- July 25 (Sant Jaume): Dance in the Church of Sant Francesc square. The night before, cantada payesa in Casa de la Tercera Edad (Retired House) of Sant Francesc.
- August 5 (Santa Maria): Dance in the Church of Sant Ferran square.
- The Saturday before October 12: Dance at the Es caló pier.
- October 12 (Mare de Déu del Pilar): Dance in the Church of La Mola square.
- December 3 (Sant Francesc Xavier): Dance in the Church of Sant Francesc square. The night before, cantada payesa in Casa de la Tercera Edad (Retired House) of Sant Francesc. - -December 26 (Mitjana festa de Nadal): Dance in Cala Sahona.
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